It is believed to be the largest representative of the genus, Columba, and has a weight of around 550 grams (1.2 lb) and an overall length of 43 cm (17 in).

This species has no sexual dimorphism, the sexes are similar in appearance, but the juvenile has generally paler plumage, with limited or no development of the pale yellow neck patch.

The subspecies Columba janthina nitens, which occurs on the Ogasawara and Iwo Islands, is very rare.

Potential visitors require permission from the Cultural Heritage Administration to visit Sasudo.

It eats worms and small snails—but with strong preference plants, leaves, flowers, drupes, berries, fruit, acorns, pine nuts and other conifer seeds, Kurogane mochi or (Ilex rotunda), mochi-no-ki (Ilex Integra), Sazanqua Camellia sasanqua, Tsubaki Camellia japonica, mulberry tree, ficus, Machilus thunbergii, Nandinia domestica...

This bird eats seeds varied, buds and fruit it collects directly from the trees.

A resident breeder in laurisilva forests, the wood pigeon lays one white egg in a flimsy twig nest.

Its numbers fell sharply after human colonisation of the archipelagos, and it vanished altogether from some Islands.

The major cause of its population decline was habitat loss from forest clearance, but hunting and nest predation by introduced species and rats were also contributory factors.

Protection of the laurel forests and a ban on hunting could enable numbers to increase, although this species is still endangered.

Columba janthina is a wood pigeon that often uses Camellia japonica for nesting and feeding but also used the Machilus thunbergii forests of Korea.